Pencil-operated lock for book covers



J. C. F. SCHAFER.

PENCIL OPERATED LOCK FORBOOK COVERS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 30,1917- Patented June 13, 1922.,

Q 3 MN QM Jul-1N 5. F 5 mi 15;

EFF?

a i. a

JOHN C. F. SCEAFEB', OF MOUNT PULASKI, ILLINOIS.

PENCIL-OPERATED LOOK FOR BOOK COVERS.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN C. F. SoHArnR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Pulaski, in the county of Logan and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Pencil-OperatedLock for Book Covers, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to pencil-housing means and locking means adapted for use in connection with books, desk pads, cash registers, credit systems or other structures comprising a stationary main structure and a member movable towards or away from the main structure, such for example as cabinets having sliding drawers; the construction and connections of the mechanism being such that the pencil will be available for use only when the book, or other structure, is partly open and the book, or other structure, cannot be completely closed until the pencil is replaced in the housing.

The purposes of the invention are: to provide in conjunction with a book or other structure, a pencil carrier adapted to contain a pencil or other instrument adapted to record current transactions in or on the book or other structure; to provide means adapted to project the carrier containing the pencil or other instrument outwardly upon opening the book or other structure; to provide means for retracting the pencil carrier so that the pencil or other instrument will be inaccessible when the book or other structure is closed; to provide means to prevent complete closing of the book or other structure when the pencil or other instrument is not in place in the carrier; and to provide structural details effective for the purposes stated.

The invention is illustrated in the annexed drawings and will now be described and finally recited in the claims:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan of a partly open book equipped with mechanism embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on the line X. X. of Fig. 1. In this view the parts are shown in an intermediate locked positionand the pencil is shown as partly retracted relative to the latch. Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical transverse section on the line Y. Y. of Fig.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 13, 1922.

1917. Serial No. 183,644.

1; Fig. l is a partial vertical section on the line Z. Z. of Fig.1; Fig. 5 is a partial vertical section on the line W. XV. of Fig. 1; and Fig. (3 is a side view, partly in section; showing one cover raised higher than shown in Fig. 2; to more clearly show the co-opera tion of the moving parts. The same reference numerals designate the same parts in all the views:

I have illustrated and will describe a book embodying the invention, but it is to be understood that the invention may, with equal advantage, be embodied in other structures such as desk-pads, or cash registers, or cabinets having sliding drawers, or credit systems, or the like.

The book comprises bound leaves 1, a lower cover-member 2, an upper covermember 3 and a flexible hinge l, connecting the members 2 and 3.

A tubular casing 5, closed at its forward end, is connected with the cover-member 2 by a pivot 6. The casing 5 has a longitudinal slot 8 and lugs 9 and 10 adjacent to the slot.

The left-hand edge 9 of the lug 9 is in clined rearwardly as shown and its opposite edge is vertical; and the right-hand edge 10 of the lug 10 is inclined forwardly as shown and its opposite edge is vertical.

A thin metal tube 12, called the carrier, is adapted to slide in the casing 5 and has an upwardly extending pin 13 adapted to traverse the slot 8 of the casing to keep the carrier from turning in the casing; an opening 14: adapted to accommodate the vertically movable latch 15; an integral spring 18, pressed from the metal wall of the carrier and adapted to bear on the pencil 19 with pressure sufficient to prevent accidental withdrawal of the pencil from the carrier; and a lug 23 extending upwardly through and adapted to slide in the slot 8 in the casing 5. A hinge member 22 is stationary on the cover-member 3 and is connected with the lug 23 by a pivot 24.

The latch 15 is supported by a spring 17 secured on the inside of the carrier and projects upwardly through the opening 14 in the carrier and the slot 8 in the casing. The latch is adapted to traverse the slot 8 and has a lateral member 16 adapted to lie on the casing when the pencil is absent from the carrier, and to be raised above the easing to a distance higher than the tops of the lugs 9 and 10 when the pencil is fully in the carrier.

An arched cover 25, stationary on the casing 5 covers and protects the latch member 16 so that the latch cannot be operated by hand or by an instrument from outside the casing.

The pencil 19 has a tapered forward part 20 adapted to engage on and raise the latch 15 when the pencil is pushed inwardly to the full extent in the carrier. The raising of the latch as described brings its lateral member 16 into such position that upon inward movement of the carrier in the casing, effected by turning the cover-member 3 downward to close the book the member 16 will pass over the lugs 9 and 10 to permit inward movement of the carrier in the easing to bring the outer end of the pencil into the casing where it will be inaccessible until the book is again opened.

If the parts be in the intermediate locked position shown in Fig. 2 and the pencil be absent from the carrier, or else not pushed inward far enough to raise the latch 15, any attempt to extend the cover will causethe member 16 of the latch to strike against the stop 9 to prevent outward sliding of the carrier; and reversely, any attempt to close the cover will cause the member 16 of the latch to strike against the stop 10 to prevent inward sliding of the carrier; hence it is impossible to either open or close the book, while the parts are in this position, without first inserting the pencil and pushing' it inward far enough to raise the latch sufficiently to permit the member 16 to pass the stop 9, or the stop 10, as the case may be. This intermediate locking of the mechanism is a safeguard against failure to completely insert the pencil. During use, if the mechanism be found in the intermediate locked position, the negligent person who caused the locking may be identified by reference to the handwriting of the last entry in the book.

If the book be completely open and the carrier be moving inwardly without the latch being raised, the latch will ride up the inclined edge 9 and over the lug; 9 and will drop into the space between the lugs 9 and 10: on the other hand" if the tapered part of the pencil becomes disengaged from the latch, or if the pencil has not been pushed. far enough inward, or if the pencil be absent from the carrier, and the carrier be moving outwardly. without raising" the latch, the member 16 of the latch will ride up the inclined edge 10 and over the lug 10 and will drop into the space between lugs 10 and 9. When the latch is between the lugs 9 and 10 the carrier cannot be moved either forwardly or rearwardly without first inserting the pencil to the full extent.

If the pencil be pushed inward far enough to completely raise the latch, the carrier may be moved to the full extent either forwardly or rearwardly, and the cover may be completely extended, or completely closed, at pleasure.

It is desirable, though not absolutely necessary, that a pencil of determined length be used. The carrier in the tube is timed so that when a pencil of determined length is used and when the book is open far enough to permit the hand to grasp the pencil to remove it from the carrier, the latch 15 will have passed the lug 9 so that if the pencil be removed the latch member 16 will drop forward of the lug 9. In order to close the book the pencil will be again fully inserted and the latch thereby raised so that the member 16 may pass over the lugs 9 and 10. If a pencil of greater length be used, or if the pencil of determined length does not remain fully inserted in the carrier, the pencil could be grasped without opening the book so fully, and the lug 10 would then prevent closing the book without inserting the pencil to an extent sufficient to permit the latch member 16 to pass the lug 10. If the pencil be fully inserted the book may be freely opened and closed as long as the pencil remains fully inserted in the carrier.

The mode of operation is as follows: Ordinarily the book will be closed. If it be desired to use the book the cover member 8 will be raised to cause the outer end of the carrier to project beyond the outer end of the casing; so that the outwardly extending end of the pencil may be grasped to remove it from the carrier to make the clesired entry in the book. The withdrawal of the pencil. will permit the spring 17 to act to slide the latch 15 downward so that its member 16 may travel above the slot 8 in the space between the lug 9 and the open end of the casino 5, to permit complete opening of the book, and the cover-member 3 being connected with the carrier as described, can not be manipulated to completely close the book while the pencil is absent from the carrier. In order that the book may be closed it is necessary to raise the latch 15 so that the member 16 may IHOVG forwardly over the lugs 9 and 19 and that can be effected only by'again inserting the pencil in the carrier and pushingit inward until the tapered part of the pencil raises the latch to permit it to pass the lugs 9 and 10 so that the book may be completely closed. and when that occurs the pencil will be wholly within the casing and can not be Withdrawn until the book is again opened. It will be seen therefore that the open book will always apprise the user that 1 6 the penoil, which must be returned to the tube before the book can be closed.

I have shown and described the pencil 19 as a preferred instrument for writing in the book and for operating the latch 15, but any other suitable instrument having a tapered terminal, such as a stylogr'aphic pen, or a fountain pen, may be used with equal advantage and without departure from my inven tion; and the term pencil used in the specification and claims is to be understood as inclusive of a stylographic pen, or a formtain pen, or any other writing instrument adapted to operate a latch inside the carrier.

I have shown and described the cover members 2 and 3 as parts of a book, but my invention includes and covers other members capable of movement toward or away from a stationary structure, substantially as described.

I do not restrict my claims to the precise construction disclosed since various modifications of detail of construction such as will readily occur to persons skilled in the art clearly come within the scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an appliance of the class described, the combination of a basal structure comprising a stationary member and a movable member; a casing pivoted on said stationary member; a carrier pivoted on said movable member and sliding in said casing; a latch on the carrier controlling the sliding of the carrier; and an instrument slidable inwardly in the carrier to operate the latch.

2. In an appliance of the class described, the combination of a main structure comprising a stationary member and a movable member; a casing pivotally connected with one member oi the main structure; a carrier pivotally connected with the other member of the main structure; a latch on the carrier; and a tapered instrument engaging the latch.

3. Locking mechanism of the class described, comprising a basal structure; a tubular casing pivotally connected with the basal structure; a member movable relative to the basal structure; a tubular carrier pivotally connected with said movable member and telescoping in the casing; stops on the casing and a spring latch mounted on and extended inwardly into the carrier and engaging the stops on the casing.

1-. In an appliance of the class described, the combination oi a basal structure; a member movable relative to the basal structure; a tubular casing pivotally connected with the basal structure; a tubular carrier pivoted on said movable member and sliding in the easing and having a spring-member pressed from the wall of the carrier; a sliding latch h i a springy connection with the carrier; lugs on the casing on the respective sides of the latch; and a tapered instrument held by the spring-member in the carrier and movable inwardly under the spring member to engage and lift the latch to clear the lugs on the casing.

5. In an appliance of the class described, the combination of a stationary cover-member; a movable cover-member hinged on the stationary cover-member; a. casing pivoted on one cover-member; a carrier pivoted on the other cover-member and telescoping in the casing; stops on the casing; a spring latch on the carrier; and a tapered instrument in the carrier effective to move the latch to clear the lugs on the casing upon inward movement of the instrument in the carrier.

6. In an appliance oi": the class described, the combination of a basal structure; a casing pivotally connected with the basal structure; stops on the casing; a pivotal carrier sliding in the casing; a latch connected with the carrier and co-acting with the stops on the casing; and a tapered instrument sliding in the carrier to disengage the latch from the stops.

7. Locking mechanism of the class described, comprising a tubular casing provided with stops and a longitudinal slot; a tubular carrier telescoping in the casing; a spring latch connected with the carrier and traversing the slot in the casing, and having an inclined terminal extending into the carrier, and a lateral finger engaging on the stops of the casing; and a tapered instrument engaging the inclined terminal of the spring latch to move the latch.

8. In an appliance of the class described, in combination with a stationary main struc ture and a member complemental to the main structure and movable relative thereto; a casing connected with the main structure; a carrier connected with said complemental member of the main structure and telescoping in said casing; and a locking device mounted on the casing and extending into the carrier.

9. In an appliance of the class described, the combination of a basal structure; a casing pivotally connected with the basal structure and having a longitudinal slot adapted to accommodate a vertically movable latch; a forwardly inclined and a rearwardly inclined lug 011 said casing on one side of and adjacent to one end of said longitudinal slot; a cover member flexibly connected with said basal structure; a carrier pivotally connected with said cover member and slidable inwardly and outwardly in the casing; and a latch carried by the carrier and traversing the longitudinal slot of the casing and riding on the rearwardly inclined edge of one lug when the carrier is sliding inwardly and riding on the forwardly inclined edge of the other lug when the carrier Mt. Pulaski, Illinois, this 20th day Of July,

is sliding outwardly, to cause the latch to 1917.

stop between the lugs during inward sliding of the carrier and during outward sliding of the carrier.

In Witness that I claim my said invention as set forth I do hereby sign my name at JOHN G. F. SGHAFER.

Witnesses:

V. J. GOELZER, a Ornmmn E. WAGNER. 

